


Unexpected Treasure

by Selah



Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ, Jpop, Koda Kumi (Musician), Kpop - Fandom
Genre: F/M, M/M, background jaeho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-10
Updated: 2015-04-10
Packaged: 2018-03-22 04:30:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3715090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selah/pseuds/Selah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Such a lovely surprise....</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected Treasure

**Author's Note:**

> written for 30emotions@LJ under a different pseudo for the prompt surprise. Set during lead up to the release of Last Angel.

The surprise wasn't that Koda Kumi was actually a sweet girl - Changmin had suspected as much from the start, regardless of the image that had been chosen for her in recent months. The surprise was that she was single and not happy about it. Of course Junsu had then spent the rest of the afternoon practically bending over backwards to see that she had everything she needed. It was almost funny, watching him trail after her like an overeager puppy, cracking bad jokes and generally just trying to make her smile. Changmin couldn't really blame him for that - she had a really lovely smile.

“All right everyone, that's enough for today. But I expect to see you all here bright and early tomorrow morning. There will be no microphones to the head on my watch!”

Junsu and Jaejoong both blushed at that while Changmin and Yoochun tried to cover snickers.

“So ... Kumiko-san ... do you have plans for dinner tonight?” Yunho asked and Changmin had to fight even harder to keep from rolling his eyes at the way their leader made himself sound so mature and adult, earning a brief glare from Jaejoong in the process.

“Oh ... probably something cheap and easy, maybe out of a box, maybe fast food. Why?”

“Ah, well, Jaejoong is cook-.”

“I'm what?!”

“-ing tonight. Not sure how fond you are of Korean food, but something homemade is better than anything you get out of a box, ne?” their leader said, completely ignoring Jaejoong's outburst.

“Yunho-kun, are you inviting me to dinner?”

“If you think you can handle having dinner with the five of us....”

“That's so sweet!” Kumiko cooed, beaming up at Yunho. “Thank you, I think I _would_ enjoy that. Can I grab a shower and get changed or should I just ask for an address and directions?”

“I'm pretty sure no one's going to pass out if we wait ... fifteen minutes?” Yunho asked, smiling at her.

“Sounds good. I'll come back here when I'm finished then,” she replied, grinning and ducking out of the practice room. Changmin was surprised that Jaejoong didn't immediately assault Yunho ... or was until he turned around to see that their frontman had gotten himself entangled in a wrestling match with Junsu and Yoochun.

“Okay you guys, break it up already, let him up.”

“Ugh, I can't believe you, Jung Yunho. I've had a long day, too, you know. Maybe I don't _want_ to cook dinner tonight, ever think about that?” Jaejoong whined, accepting Yunho's help off the floor all the same.

“Be nice to the pretty girl, Kim Jaejoong, and I promise to make it up to you?”

“You're already being too nice to her, Yunho.”

Yunho leaned in close then and even though Changmin couldn't hear what their leader was saying to Jaejoong, he had a pretty good idea of the overall contents. How Yunho only loved Jaejoong, how he was only inviting the pretty girl to dinner because she seemed lonely ... how amusing it would be to watch Junsu and Yoochun fall all over themselves to get more of her attention and surely that was worth being nice to her for the span of at least the one dinner. Jaejoong's smile was almost pure evil as Yunho stepped back. That couldn't be a good sign.

~*~*~

She was pretty and sweet and wonderful and beautiful and it was entirely too bad that it looked like Junsu was winning her over with his puppy antics. Changmin told himself that he would not begrudge his friend happiness - they all deserved it and Junsu always tried so hard only to fail so many times with the girls he pursued. If he was finally actually succeeding, well, who was he to want to do something against that?

Still....

~*~*~

“Great job everyone. See you back here tomorrow 10am for dress rehearsal!”

Changmin only halfheartedly joined the chorus of thank yous for their choreographer, more interested in toweling the sweat off his face and getting something to drink. He needed something more than water, but it would have to be good enough until he could get to a store or their apartment. Better than nothing, at any rate.

“Anou ... Min-kun?” Kumi asked, quiet and shy with a brief brush of fingers against his elbow.

“Aa! Yes, Kumiko-san?”

“I was wondering if you were doing anything tonight?”

“M-me?” he asked, surprised, even a bit shocked, that she was asking. “Um, well, I've got some studying to do, but I guess that doesn't really count as busy....”

“Great! Join me for dinner tonight?”

Changmin blinked down at the woman before him, feeling slightly stupid. Was she asking him out? On a date? What happened to Junsu?

“Please, Min-kun? I ... I really could use some advice.”

She was begging. Oh hell, she was begging and those big brown eyes were so full of pleading and hope and need as she looked up at him, it just wasn't right. And it wasn't a date, not if she was only asking as an excuse to talk to him, to get some advice from him. Two friends having dinner together, nothing romantic about it at all.

“I'd be honored, Kumiko-san.”

“Great! Here's the restaurant address, meet me there in an hour?”

“I'm sure I can manage that. See you then, Kumiko-san.”

There was something strange about the way she smiled at him before walking away, but he decided not to worry about it overly much. Probably nothing. She was probably only asking him out to talk about Junsu and advice for how to deal with him. Or maybe it was something else entirely, but whatever it was, they were just going out as friends and there was no sense in letting himself think about it any more than that.

~*~*~

The restaurant was small and quiet, tables separated for an almost intimate feel. Not exactly what he had been expecting, but he was willing to go with it. Maybe it was her favorite or something. She was in the lobby waiting for him when he got there, smiling up at him beautifully. The hostess lead them into the back, to a small tatami room, another surprise.

“Kumiko-san....”

“Please, Min-kun, all my friends call me Kumi. You don't mind this, do you? I just ... I love this place but I hate being stared at while I eat,” she explained, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. Understandable; she would attract attention even if she wasn't famous.

“I don't mind, Kumi-san,” he said, earning himself another pinball smile. It wasn't often that he ate like this even when they were in Japan, everything traditional and bound to take time; normally even if they were allowed free time like this, they'd grab something in a noodle shop or make Jaejoong cook something. And when they didn't, then it was catered bento and fast food. Sitting at an actual table with a cup of tea seemed almost a sinful indulgence.

“You look anxious about something....”

“Oh ... no, no, it's just ... it's been awhile since I've been in a restaurant like this,” he said, willing himself not to blush too badly in his embarrassment. “It feels almost wrong to just sit here and do nothing.”

“Really? That's too bad. Work is important, but having time to relax is important too, you know? Being able to enjoy a meal like this ... I think it's critical to be able to do that regularly, to be able to just slow down for awhile. Rushing around all the time is bad for mind and body both.”

“I agree, but working in the industry like we do, with all the expectations on us to do everything.... And they keep such a tight watch on us still, keep our schedule so full so much of the time....”

“Really? Ugh, I don't think I could live like that....”

Koda Kumi the pop idol might have appeared the seductress or the brainless slut, but Kumiko the real person was a thoughtful, intelligent, even shrewd young woman. She knew what she wanted and she was intent on learning everything necessary to be sure she could reach her goals. She wasn't afraid to ask questions and once again Changmin was surprised to find her more than capable of holding up her end of the conversation, no matter how they wandered from topic to topic.

The one topic that never came up, though, was Junsu. He wondered, as they stood at the curb waiting for a cab, if he should be the one to bring it up ... except he wasn't sure he should. That seemed like the sort of thing that Kumi should do on her own. Even when they were in the cab, she didn't seem ready to talk about Junsu. It was easy to just let it go.

“Come up for coffee?” she blurted, paused in the door of the cab. They were stopped in front of her building, Changmin intending to take the cab the rest of the way to the apartment he shared with his bandmates (another indulgence). Such a sudden thing, but the invitation seemed genuine enough. He could always take a bus or something home from here, it wasn't that late yet.

“All right, but I can't stay long,” he said, smiling. Kumi smiled, too, obviously relieved at his acceptance. But unlike before, an odd sort of silence cropped up between them as they entered the building, rode the elevator up to her floor. Entering the apartment only broke it long enough for her to murmur an invitation for Changmin to make himself at home before she disappeared into her kitchen. So he found himself making a slow circle of her lounge, taking in the furnishings and collected knickknacks from her life. Still a shy, nerdy girl under the pop star glam.

“I always dreamed of being a star,” Kumi said suddenly, catching him looking at pictures from when she'd been a young girl. “This wasn't quite what I'd been expecting, though.”

She was laughing, but it seemed strained to him. Of course. Hadn't she been complaining before about being lonely? Surrounded by dozens of people but still alone. He had some idea how that felt, if not entirely. Even completely alone, his bandmates, his best friends, were still there for him, always.

“Coffee won't be ready for another twenty minutes,” she said, apologetic, when he set aside the small frame.

“I can probably manage to stay that long,” he replied, smiling gently. Kumi had invited him up to her apartment, maybe now she was wanting to talk about Junsu? But instead they lapsed into silence, sitting on the couch, he studying her apartment and she studying him.

“So....”

“Kiss me.”

Blink. Surely he hadn't heard that right.

“You're waiting for my permission, aren't you? That's why you haven't tried before now, isn't it?”

“Eh? I mean, I ... I thought you and Junsu.....”

“We're just friends, Min-kun, that's all we can be. I can't be the kind of girl he needs and he knows it and oh god please don't tell me you're gay....”

“Bisexual, but it's not that, it's just ...,” he trailed off with a helpless noise. How to explain that he couldn't get involved with her if Junsu had been at all serious? It would be like betraying his brother. Even if she and Junsu were friends now, if that friendship had come about after her telling Junsu that she couldn't date him....

“It's just what? If you're worried about Junsu-kun ... he was the one who told me that there was no future for us,” Kumi murmured, sliding closer to him on the couch. “I didn't break his heart. I don't think I ever had it.”

Her head was resting against his shoulder now, her soft scent wafting up into his nose. Everything about her was soft, pliant ... vulnerable. And she wanted him.

Or did she? Maybe she was just trying to make herself feel better about being rejected by Junsu. A rebound with the first guy she found willing to say yes? Except he hadn't thought her the type to be so shallow.

“I've made a complete idiot of myself, haven't I?” she asked quietly, barely a whisper. “You'd think by my age I'd know better....”

“You caught me by surprise, I just ... I thought you were interested in Junsu. I mean, the two of you have been spending all that time together laughing over stuff and....”

“Friends do that,” she murmured, smiling faintly up at him.

“I know, I just....”

“Coffee's done by now,” she said a moment later, pulling away to disappear into her kitchen again. Maybe it would be better if he left? But he didn't want to be so rude as that, even if things had gotten a bit awkward.

Two mugs thunked onto the coffee table and then his lap was suddenly full of smiling Kumi.

“Fine, if you're still not going to do anything, I guess I'll just have to keep making the first moves myself,” she said, smirking. Before he could ask her what she meant, soft lips were pressed to his. She was kissing him and sliding closer until he could feel her breasts softly pressing against his chest. Arms looped around his shoulders, fingers toying with his hair as her lips parted, tongue slipping forward to brush against the seal of his lips. He opened for her, couldn't seem to help himself, his hands stealing into her hair.

“Stay the night,” Kumi whispered against his lips when they finally parted.

“I can't.”

“Please, Min ... please stay. Just ... stay with me. It's so lonely here....”

Was he really supposed to refuse something like that? He'd probably get in trouble for it, but ... he couldn't refuse a damsel in distress. Just this once ... they couldn't get too mad at him for just this once, right? Changmin pulled Kumi closer, nuzzled sweet-smelling hair.

“All right. I'll stay.”


End file.
